Erythromycin mycoplasma infections

Broad intravenous antibiotic coverage for the encapsulated organisms can include ceftriaxone or cefotaxime. For patients with true cephalosporin allergy, clindamycin may be used. If staphylococcal infection is suspected owing to previous history or the patient appears acutely ill, vancomycin should be initiated. Macrolide antibiotics, such as erythromycin and azithromycin, may be initiated if Mycoplasma pneumonia is suspected. While the patient is receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics, their regular use of penicillin for prophylaxis can be suspended. Fever should be controlled with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Because of the risk of dehydration during infection with fever, increased fluid may be needed.6,27... 

Although erythromycin is a well-established antibiotic, there are relatively few primary indications for its use. These indications include the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, eradication of Corynebacterium diphtheriae from pharyngeal carriers, the early preparox-ysmal stage of pertussis, chlamydial infections, and more recently, the treatment of Legionnaires disease, Campylobacter enteritis, and chlamydial conjunctivitis, and the prevention of secondary pneumonia in neonates. 

The macrolide antibiotics include erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, tylosin, tilmicosin and tiamulin. Clindamycin and lincomycin are related lincosamides. Susceptible bacteria include staphylococci, streptococci, Campylobacter jejunii, Clostridium spp., R. equi, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia spp. Drugs in this group are only effective against a few Gram-negative bacteria in cattle, namely some strains of Pasteurella and Haemophilus spp. Macrolides and lincosamides are associated with causing colitis in horses, so their use is usually restricted to p.o. erythromycin for the treatment of R. equi infections in foals. Subantimicrobial doses of erythromycin are administered i.v. to horses for gastrointestinal prokinetic action. 

Erythromycin is the antibiotic of choice when treating respiratory tract infections in legionnaire s disease, whooping cough, and Mycoplasma-based pneumonia because of its ability to inhibit protein synthesis in certain bacteria by... 

The answer is a. (Murray, pp 452-467. Scriver, pp 3-45. Sack, pp 1-40. Wilson, pp 101—120.) Virulent strains of bacteria that cause severe, life-threatening respiratory tract infections can often be successfully treated with erythromycin. These include Mycoplasma pneumoniae, various Legionella species, and Bordetella pertussis. The mechanism of action of erythromycin is to specifically bind the 50S subunit of bacterial ribosomes. Under normal conditions, after mRNA attaches to the initiation site of the 30S subunit, the 50S subunit binds to the 30S complex and forms the 70S complex that allows protein chain elongation to go forward. Elongation is prevented in the presence of erythromycin. 

Erythromycin is used for infections caused by gram-positive cocci (not MRSA), atypical organisms (Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma species), Legionella pneumophila, and Campylobacter jejuni. 

C. Clinical Uses Erythromycin is effective in the treatment of infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, corynebacterium. Chlamydia trachomatis, Legionella pneumophila, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Bordetella pertussis. The drug is also active against gram-positive cocci, including pneumococci and beta-lactamase-producing staphylococci (but not MRSA strains). 

Erythromycin - From 4 to 10% of children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infections are afflicted with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (primary atypical pneumonia). in the search for more effective ways to combat this infection erythromycin proved to be clearly the most active of 21 commonly used antibiotics against 5 strains of M pneumoniae in vitro.72... 

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